


Song of Atlantis

by Untrust_Us



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen, Sentient Atlantis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2018-10-19 06:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10634127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Untrust_Us/pseuds/Untrust_Us
Summary: Ancient tech requires specific genes to activate. For some people every lighswitch becomes a laborous effort but for others it happily responds with only a faint touch. Sometimes the tech even seems to anticipate the needs of those it favours.The song of Atlantis hasn't been sung for millenia. How will its ancient melody sound after its long dwelling under the sea?





	1. Harmony in empty halls

It is well known that natural gene carriers gets preferential treatment from ancient tech. That while those with the gene theraphy can interact in limited ways and get tasks completed, they can never hear Her voice. Will never experience the full splendor of Her symphony.

However, a misconception often occurs by thinking that being able to hear Her song means an automatic skill in working with her.  
To access the subtle and integral sub routines you first have to find your own voice. You have to learn chords for specific tasks and how different notes affect the greater whole. How to explore new information while staying in the same metaphorical key. How to join your own melody with Hers.

The Ancients knew much. They had forgotten even more. One such long forgotten memory was about Atlantis core self, her heart. That though Her song is magnificent on its own, it transforms into something so much more incredible when She doesn't sing alone.

There is one man whose quiet veneer hides great depths. Depths filled with long forgotten grief, along with a stubborn spark of hope that makes him reach out to the world around him. Makes the world around him quiet as it listens to him.  
He adds to Her song and starts exciting rythyms for her to explore. Separatly their voices are both beautiful, together they spark the possibility for growing new Zero Point Modules.

As Atlantis lights to the gentle touch of his hands She slowly wakes from Her slumber. As She listens to his faint voice the delicate process of harmonisation begins.

Once seated upon the citys central throne his song will forever remain an instrument of Her eternal orchestra. The same way as those who dreamt of Atlantis first joyful note continues to exist through Her music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently had a bit of a SGA nostalgia trip and as such have been digging up multiple epic Atlantis fanfictions. The Pegasus galaxy truly comes alive through these authors and so many different aspects of Atlantis gets explored in multiple ways.
> 
> I just wanted to pay a tiny homage to the City and her favored human so I finally decided to post something.
> 
> (I have to admit to getting some random Lugia feelings as well.)


	2. “Think about where we are in the solar system”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chair on Antarctica could be compared to a distant neighbour inviting you in for a friendly garden party (with missiles included in the evening buffet).
> 
> The slow waking of Atlantis however was akin to suddenly realising you've already moved in together and now you are arguing over morning bathroom access. Except what you are arguing about is more about the limited ZPM energy amount that is required for everyones safety.

_Flashes of constellations... the dissonance of unknown names feeling as though he has known of them since childhood. Faint images of planets and their movements orbiting the sun throughout the millennia. Vague impressions of limitless data that lingers barely outside of his reach. Blood pounding in his ears as his very thoughts seems to slowly become indistinguishable from the muted blue radiance permeating the rest of the underground architecture..._

When John thinks back to the moment he first sat in the Ancient chair in Antarctica, he sometimes wonders if he ever came out of the shock-like dream state he had seemingly entered. 

From the moment his transport of the Lt. General turned into having to resort to evasive flight maneuvers and experimental missiles to crossing the Gate horizon everything appeared surreal.  
It was as though he was stuck in a lucid dream unaware if it would end pleasantly or twist into an uncontrollable nightmare. It turned out to be both. Because obviously space vampires were a thing.

John accidentally operating an ‘alien’ (even though the Ancients technically weren’t strictly alien and he apparently had a gene of theirs) system prompted an offer he ultimately couldn’t refuse. Though he hadn't exactly minded the isolation of his exile in Antarctic harsh cold, he knew he had always struggled with long streches of forced inactivity and he would in the end be driven into some kind of madness.  
However, what ultimately drove him to accept the apparent suicide posting was the relentless emptiness that he had never dared acknowledge. An emptiness that only the irresistable sensation of the unyielding pull when he had sat in the glowing chair had ever filled. A feeling mirroring those precious few moments of perfect clarity pre liftoff.

He had wondered if he had really become so messed up that a shiny chair was what his mind comes up with as a comforting answer to his apparent mental breakdown. Experiencing delusions is something you might want double check with a professional, just to be sure. It might have been conspiracy theorist of him that he wondered if he wasn’t already monitored for any potential leaks of sensitive information and any theraphy would be under surveilence. About the higly classified Aliens. 

Everything up until John stepped in front of the Gate was blur. He had lightswitch duty, getting side eyed at by marines duty and general absorb earth shattering information duty. None of these things prepared him enough for the shit show that was their first weeks in Pegasus galaxy.

At first he didn’t notice any difference in the Atlantis systems from what had been shoved at him on Earth. He was busy dealing with shooting his commanding officer and then taking his role himself.  
However over a longer period he started to notice those quiet moments where he felt his mind respond. Small nudges of his awareness here, a few inexplicable sensations there. A neverending melodious hum that no one else seemed to wonder about. A sensation of welcoming beyond the safety of home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short SGA thing now exists, yay!
> 
> Not too sure about it though since something seem a bit off about the flow but eh I'm just trying to figure out Posting Thing so I'm happy.


	3. Beneath the sea She waits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wishes for someone to sing to her once more.

Lullabies aren't meant for when you are asleep. They are for those precious few moments before you close your eyes and let yourself be wrapped up in the embrace of darkness. A reassurance that you are not alone.

Their warmth and ingenuity that had for so long coloured her halls faded with one last opening of the Horizon. Her shut down had been programmed to be initiated with the closing of the Gate. Though even with her systems depowered she couldn't help but dream of what had been. Of what she had lost. 

They had left her. Aware of nothing but the emptiness of her halls. With no song but her own to blunt the sharpness of abandonment.

She waited for what might have been an eternity or perhaps only a single moment. The drain stabilised at the drips required to maintain her most essential systems. Her song was sung no more.

Far beneath the stormy waves Atlantis lies silent. Waiting for a spark to wake her from her slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more tiny thing now exists.


	4. The advent of a new theme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a new beginning for the ancient city. Who better to set the tone of the new theme than Dr. Elisabeth Weir?

_A sudden burst of initialisation data received by the few remaining systems online. Gate systems working as a relay point through quantum entanglement for long distance communication without requiring more than a few drips of the City's critical energy levels._

_Automatic protocols processing the high level request for full wormhole synchronization. Request point of origin recognized as acceptable within the calculated space drift and corresponding with pre-approved gate addresses.  
Energy baseline required for stabilisation of event horizon barely maintained through diversion of fundamental background tasks. _

_All chevrons locked in._

_Vortex stabilised._

_Who goes there?_

Elisabeth had always prided herself on her understanding of others. She had played the diplomacy game long enough to know that the smoothest way of achieving her own end goals, was to allow a semblance of control to your counterpart and play on their own self importance. If you could figure out what the other wanted from what they actually needed while never losing sight of your own objectives then you could often build the basis of a compromise from there.  
The difficulty of keeping to this mentality in the face of some of planet Earth’s most self centered authorities and individuals was not an easy task. Humanity does not lack for egocentric ambition.  
The derision of her so called ignorant civilian ideology was always a breath away from her detractors. And no few of her ‘enlightened’ colleagues held her public views towards military excess against her as naive. As though she didn’t understand the perilous balancing act of different nations economic and sovereign interests even without introducing the holy grail of interplanetary travel and the staggering potential of it all. Not to mention the enemies that the oh so patriotic Stargate Command has already attracted in the name of humanity as a whole. The Tau’ri may be taking their first tentative steps in space, but how can you build trust without building a foundation of hope first? 

The tribalism of SGC when she first arrived was unfortunate but all too understandable considering the history of the project. Attacked from without and within. Demanding complete loyalty of their people as well as the uttermost secrecy while stationed in what was undoubtedly the first line of defence of Earth. Far from the most ideal position to be in.  
She tried her best in what was an untenable situation but she knew where her strengths and weaknesses lied and that in that moment in time, her skills and drive for accountability would only add additional hurdles for the already ingrained military culture in the Cheyenne Mountain complex.

The Ancient outpost in Antarctica was old and held so much potential. Something of Earth that could reignite the joy of reaching for the stars. Perhaps even start a new journey where she could try to build something more than only the extended military arm. An expedition built to explore supporting the necessary soldiers as well as the brilliant minds that would discover those extraordinary things that could brighten the future for everyone.  
For all the details and background checks that went into planning the uncertain exploration of the lost city of Atlantis she knew she couldn’t plan for everything. Only try to make sure they had best chances to survive.  
When she learned of the pilot with a black mark as well as one of the strongest expression of the ATA-gene she didn’t hesitate to insist on his addition to their expedition. Stacking the more outlandish parts of the deck in their favour was only pragmatic after all. And if this meant focusing Colonel Sumner in a direction of her choosing then so be it.

**Author's Note:**

> I recently had a bit of a SGA nostalgia trip and as such have been digging up multiple epic Atlantis fanfictions. The Pegasus galaxy truly comes alive through these authors and so many different aspects of Atlantis gets explored in multiple ways.
> 
> I just wanted to pay a tiny homage to the City and her favored human so I finally decided to post something.
> 
> (I have to admit to getting some random Lugia feelings as well.)


End file.
